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Abbotsford Police officer dismissed

An Abbotsford police officer has been dismissed from the force, following an investigation and disciplinary process relating to an accident in which he was involved last spring.

It was alleged that Const. Nathan Brown, now a five-year member of the APD, misled superiors about a crash he had on the evening of April 14, 2011 with an unmarked police vehicle he was authorized to drive home from work.

The officer had stopped on the way to his residence at a facility run by the police union for use by its members.

While driving home, he collided with a pole and caused moderate damage to the police vehicle.

Brown, 30, was suspended with pay during the investigation which examined whether he had driven while impaired by alcohol and then lied to his supervisors to cover up the incident.

Although a determination of whether he was impaired could not be made, Brown was found to have committed discreditable conduct for his actions that night and deceit for statements about when the damage to his police vehicle occurred.

“Brown was a good police officer who handled himself poorly after making a bad decision to drive a car after drinking,” said Chief Bob Rich. “But police officers are held to a high standard and this investigation determined he did not meet that standard.”

The Abbotsford Police Professional Standards Section conducted the Police Act investigation under Rich's direction. Chief Const. Dave Jones of the New Westminster Police was appointed as an independent discipline authority to hold the discipline proceeding once that investigation was complete.

Brown can contest this finding by requesting a public hearing. If he chooses to do so, the police complaint commissioner will either order a public hearing or a hearing based on the record of the discipline proceeding.

Brown still faces a criminal charge of obstructing a police officer in relation to the incident and next appears April 12 in Abbotsford provincial court.